"THE WEB."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8980, 14 November 1907, Page 2

"THE WEB."

PAUL URQUHART.

[Axi^KICrIITsJJRESERVEI).]

CHAPTER XXlV.—Continued. lieeton suddenly burst into an un controllable lit of laughter. "And I thought at one time that you were in love with Mr Strangways," he blurted out with boyish frankness. Alice could not restrain a blush. "I hope she does," put in Strangways, "there is such a thing as sisterly and brotherly love, after all." Meanwhile, Miss Elders had risen from the table, and going towards Alice, gave her a hearty kiss. "I always told you it would come all right," she said. "Oh, I'm so glad. It's nearly as good as if Henry and I were noing to be married tomorrow."

Lady Violet also came up and less boisterously tendered her congratulatory. Then she turned to Beeton—

"I hope you'll be very happy," she said simply, "both of you."

Beeton tried to assume a lugubrious look.

"It's all very well to congratulate me," he said, "we've been engaged like this for ever so long, but she always put off the marriage for some reason or another. I don't know if she'd even marry me now." "You silly old stupid," said Alice, coming up and giving him a kiss. "I always sai,d I would when my quest was over. And it is over now."

In this atmosphere of congratulation the Duchess felt she must bow to the inevitable

"I think you're a very fortunate young laay," she said, "1 don't pretend to understand it all at the present moment, but you both seem to be so happy that you muan't mind an old woman like me appearing rather dumbfounded."

The steward, who all this time had been watching the proceedings with evident amazement, at a sign from his master, refilled the champagne

glasses. "I think, Duchess," Strangways said, "that you won't mind my proposing a toast. Even if Mr Beeton has lost one Alice-he's got another, and, judging by his looks, I don't think he regrets the exchange." He raised his glass—"Here's long life and happiness to both of you!" They all had their glasses to their lips, when suddenly the saloon door was flung open, and the first mate, with a very scared look on his face, rushed in.

"For Heaven's sake, Mr Strangways, come at once. There's something terrible going on in the smoke-room."

When Strangways, followed by Beeton and the ladies, who refused to be left behind, reached the smokeroom door, he realized that the first mate had spoken truly. A fearful noise and din was going on. Somebody appeared to be throwing the saloon furniture about, for every now and again, amidst the fury and noise could be heard the. crash of glass, and above it all there reached the ears of Strangways the whimpering voice of Ricardo Conrad, battering at the door, and begging to be let out. ' , "Let me out! Let me out," he shriekecl. "He'll kill me! He's gone mad! If you've any pity, let me out. Put me anywhere; I don't'care! But take me away from here!" Strangways motioned to one of the sailors to open the door. When it was flung back a strange scene presented itself before the eyes of the little group of onlookers. The whole saloon was in a state of chaos. The chairs and furniture, everything which, was not screwed down, lay smashed a::d twisted on the floor. Every globe in..the room was broken; the glass shewed the floor thickly. In this netting of ruin and chaos, at the far end of the saloon on a settee, stood the figure of. the Patriarch. A wild light blazed in his eyes; his long hair swept back from his forehead, showed the terrible scar now a deep crimson on his brow. He was shouting some lunatic gioberish when the door was flune open, but as sopn as he saw Strangways standing in the open doorway he paused, and looked at him with his deep, burning eyes, as if trying to focus his identity in his mind.

"Ha! Ha!" ho shouted suddenly, pointing a finger at him. "I the Prophet, the Patriarch, Moses, the sacred keeper of the Flying Scroll, I know you, John Strangways, the cursed son of a cursed father." Strangways made a ' motion towards him, and Conrad, taking advantage of the gap thus left in the •doorway, bolted out into the arms of a sailor, who promptly secured him by the collar. "Stand back! Stand back!" shouted Peter Tidey, "dare not to touch the' anointed. I know you, John Strangways, and if you move'n step further I will blast you with the power that has been given me. Did I not say that your father should die, and ho died! He left my sister'to starve he, with his millions, when he discovered that I was her brother. He said I was a blasphemer. He refused to give my sister mo-,ey for me, because t!o was my .sister, though he loved 1.. :•. Ay, and he lived in a hell of aii,"usli for the rest of his life, as I told him he would, as I ■ tol'J him when we parted those nineteen years ago. But I knew he had money, and I meant to have it. And I mean to have it yet. I meant to get ,it through my sister. To force him to pay. But she fled from me and hid herself. And when I tracked her down time after time she fled again, purposely avoiding mo But the Patriaich could wait. I waited. And at last I came upon her daughter, his daughter, when she was dead. And I determined them that he should die and that you should die, and that all your money should be mine through her. Was not 1 the reincarnation of Moses? Was I not to do as I wished? Who

ARRANGEMENT.]

was to stand in my way?" He paused, his lips trembling with the eagerness of his words, his hand pointing tremblingly at Strangways, his eyes burning like live coals in his head. "I followed your father to London and I struck him down in your flat. Only once I struck him; on the forehead, and he died—he who had made a mock of me. And when they arrested you for the murder I laughed. Had they hung you my path would have been clear. But they didn't hang you, curse them! I had to do the business myself. Three times I tried. Once that meddling fool Medhurst was struck for you. I thought then I had killed you. But 1 saw you at one of my meetings, your cursed face was always turning up. standing in the way between me and my desires. 1 had you followed to Yorkshire. One of my faithful, your coachman, I ordered to slay you. But you were warned, this time by my «iece. When I found you weren't killed I determined to sink you in the Alice. But you didn't go on board, and wc had our trouble for no purpose. But the hour for vengence has come." Pie raised both arms above his head his hands tight clenched. "I shall blast you with my curse. I, the Patriarch, the sublime Moses, whom thousands of the faithful believe in." | Suddenly he stopped and looked round him. ' ! "But where is the man that has betrayed me?" | He stepped quickly off the settee and advanced down the saloon. Hardly knowing why. Strangways stepped aside. The group of ladies melted before the madman's approach. Even the sailor, who had hold of Conrad, loosened his grip on his prisoner's collar. The Patriarch strode majestically up to him, and as he approached the man sunk limp and frightened on the deck, a horrible terror in his eyes. Peter Tidey fixed his burning eyes upon his face. "Come," he said, holding out his I hand, before anybody thought of stopping him, he dragged the trembling man to his feet, and half pushed him on to the open deck. , Fearing mischief, Beeton and *Stranwgays followed quickly. But with a look of lofty unconcern the Patriarch waved them back. Conrad stood before him, cowering like a whipped cur, the while the madman fixed him with his glittering eyes. "You have betrayed me," he said. "I bade you kill John Strangways, and he is alive." Conrad edged away from him. "For God's sake save me from this madman," he moaned. Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the Patriarch rushedat him, seized him in his arms, and with almost superhuman strength rushed down the narrow passage between the deckhouse and the ship's side. Stranwgays ami two sailors sprang after him, but he ran swiftly as if he carried nothing in his arms. Leaping on to one of the seats, he rested a foot on the light iron railing, and looked round at his pursuers. "Stop him! Stop him," yelled Strangways. ' But before any one could reach him, even just as the foremost sailor's hands touched his coat, he uttered one wild demoniacal laugh and plunged headlong with his burden into the sea. So rapidly did the tragedy take place that Strangways could hardly realize what had happened tiii he heard the splash of the two bodies striking the water. The officer on duty on the bridge stopped the engines. As quickly as possible a boat was let down. But though for two hours they rowed round and round the spot where the sea had. swallowed up the two miscreants no sign or trace of them appeared on the surface. As the boat hung ouce more at the davits and the White Rose gathered weigh towards England, beeton turned to Strangways—"That was, perhaps, the best way it could end," he said in a solemn voice. (To be Continued).